Topic: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Earth Day technology: the spray-on solar panel?

New firms are challenging conventional rooftop solar by using thin-film technology on windows and even indoors. On this Earth Day, conventional Chinese companies are the cost leaders. But US firms have the technical edge.

What Chinese companies want: intellectual property protection

Chinese-American business relations, long fraught with distrust for China because it was not controlling piracy, appear to be benefiting from a new Chinese respect for intellectual property rights.

Trayvon Martin: Why Fox pulled 'Neighborhood Watch' movie ads

Fox pulled posters and a trailer for the movie "Neighborhood Watch," a summer comedy. Separately, Trayvon Martin's mother filed to trademark rally slogans about her son.

Android patent trial set for next month

Android system violates Java patents, Oracle charges in patent and copyright suit against Google. Android suit could run into hundreds of millions of dollars. 

Eat more kale: A David vs. Golaith fight with Chick-fil-A?

Eat more kale? Chick-fil-A says it owns the "eat mor chikin" phrase. A Vermont man says no one is going to confuse kale with chicken.

Patents: Google buys 1,000 of them from IBM

Patents buy is part of arms race for intellectual property. Google's purchase will help defend itself against patents litigation.

Who owns 'SEAL Team 6?'

The Navy created the SEAL Team 6 squad that killed Osama bin Laden earlier this month. Now Disney is trying to trademark SEAL Team 6 for future commercial use.

Patent law: Congress eyes major overhaul

Patent law currently grants patents to the first person to invent something. Under a Senate reform bill, patent law would recognize the first person to file a patent.

Sarah Palin Inc. Can she trademark her name?

Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol want to trademark their names – a legal action more typical of celebrity figures in sports, fashion, and entertainment. As well-paid "motivational speakers," they've already made their mark.

When patents kill: Genzyme's patent-protected, life-saving drug

Should intellectual property protect the rights of a pharmaceutical company who can't produce enough of a key medication?

Intellectual Property 101: How to get – and challenge – a patent

As the Supreme Court prepares to cut the 'clear and convincing' standard for proving patent invalidity, it's worth examining the key steps of the patent process.

Letters to the Editor – Weekly Issue of October 11, 2010

Readers write in about mine safety, Secretary Clinton, and job creation in the US.

Which innovations deserve patents? Supreme Court gives scant direction.

In a decision Monday about patent protections, the Supreme Court failed to give specific guidance about which innovations qualify and which don't.

Inventing American jobs: How small steps become big industries

Innovation is necessary to build new jobs to replace those lost in the recession. So how do you innovate? Consider the integrated circuit. It was just a matter of taking the next logical step.

Sony readying a universal remote for video games

Sony has filed a patent application for a universal remote that would work with a range of systems, from its PlayStation 3 to Microsoft and Nintendo consoles.

In a Wikipedia age, should all ideas be free?

The US Supreme Court shouldn't weaken the patent protections that fuel technological progress.

Supreme Court to decide: What kind of innovations get a patent?

The Supreme Court on Monday takes up this fundamental question in patent law. The answer holds billion-dollar implications for the US economy.

Songwriters sue, saying: You can't use 'Redneck Yacht Club'

During tough economic times, Nashville songwriters push harder to protect witty lyrics.

Amazon takes one more step toward in-book advertisements for the Kindle

Has the US patent system gone too far?

Reformers push to limit what is protected.

Candidates now focus on financial crisis

Obama and McCain hope to jump-start the economy, but their plans clearly differ.

Head lost in the clouds of computing

A sigh of relief that Dell was not allowed to trademark a generic phrase.

Etc.

U.S. can't afford to mar innovation

Proposed patent reforms mean less protection for the underdog.

Better mousetrap builders

How small-time inventors - alone or in clubs - make widgets for fun (and maybe a profit).